The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner Tracklist
The Unauthorised Biography of Reinhold Messner is the third studio album by piano-rock trio Ben Folds Five. Interestingly, the title has nothing to do with famous mountaineer Reinhold Messner himself – drummer Darren Jessee attributes the album title to the name on a fake ID that he and his friends used as kids. The real Messner allegedly contacted the band to let them know he enjoyed the album.
The 11-track album spawned only two singles: “Army” and “Don’t Change Your Plans”. Other notable tracks include “Your Most Valuable Possession,” a jam built around a cryptic voicemail message from Folds' father, and “Magic,” a somber reflection on romantic enchantment.
Its debut at #35 on the Billboard 200 was lackluster, with the album being described as “dead on arrival” despite generally positive reviews from critics.
The failure of the album to replicate the success of 1997’s Whatever And Ever Amen may have led to the band’s dissolution in 2000, with Ben Folds forging a solo career.
